Moses (c. 13th century BC) (Mosheh, drawn from water) was of the
tribe of Levi, Levites,
the son of Amram and Jochebed; his brother was Aaron,
and sister, Miriam. He was speared death from the Pharaoh's decree that
all Jewish male infants were to be killed when his parents hid him in the
reeds near a river Nile. The daughter of the Pharaoh found and rescued him,
(Exodus 2:10) "From the water I drew him," meshitihu, hence
his name Mosheh, or Moses. He lived in the royal palace and was educated
as an Egyptian. Probably he was, as a young man, initiated into some priesthood
order (Acts 7:22), or cult, and took the name of Osarsiph, or Tisithen (Starbo,
Ant. II, 9, 7) (see Tablets
of Tel-el-Amarna). Also, it is probable that he became knowledgeable
of Greek, Chaldean, and Assyrian literature.

His choosing of his own race over the Egyptian may be traceable to some
memories he had of his mother as an infant. Although he was raised Egyptian,
as the adopted son of the Pharaoh, he was always sympathetic toward the
Hebrew people of his own race. This compassion caused him to kill a task-master
who he saw abusing a Hebrew. Knowing the Pharaoh would sentence him to death
for the murder Moses fled to Midian.

When in Midian, one of his first acts was to defend the daughters of
Reuel (Jethro), a priest of Midian against the shepherds who oppressing
them. Moses became one of Jethro's shepherds, and married his daughter Zipporah
who bore him two sons, Gerrshom and Eliezer. It was during the isolated
periods that he spent as a shepherd, in the valley of Shoaby (or Hobab),
that Moses received the message from God to lead his people Israel from
Egyptian bondage. At the same time the divine name Jehovah (Hebrew, YEHEVEH,
self-existence) was explained to him, accompanied by three miracles of the
burning bush, the serpent rod, and the leprous hand as a confirmation of
his mission. He was supported by his brother Aaron, sustained in a wondrous
way by the miracles of the ten plagues, the last of which was the most terrible.
In the time of the death of the first-born of all of Egypt's children, Moses
led his people, the Israelites, to the east side of the Red Sea where they
were blessed with freedom, and later paid a great tribute by their former
oppressors.

At the time Moses was eighty; during the next forty years he guided the
Israelites through the wilderness. During this time he received the Torah, including the Ten
Commandments, on Mount Sinai. Before his death at 120 he appointed Joshua
as his successor. He was buried in an unmarked grave.

In the Jewish religion, Judaism, Moses retains a privileged position.
He is said to have spoken to God "face to face" (Exodus 33:11)
and is described as "God's servant" (Numbers 12:7-8). Moses also
is perceived as a prophet (Deuteronomy 33:1), founder of the religion, a
law giver, a political leader, and is said to have been "the meekest
man on earth" (Numbers 12:3).

Rabbinical writings teach that the whole exists only because of the merits
of Moses and Aaron (B. Hul. 89a), and he is generally referred to
as Mosheh Rabbenu (Moses, our master). He was given not only the
written law, but the entire oval law in the encounter on Mount Sinai (TJ
Pe'ah-2. 6). At the same time, the rabbis were concerned that there
should be no personality cult, his faults, such as his quick temper, were
recognized (B. Pes. 66b). Such praise of him continued into medieval
Jewry as illustrated in aggadic stories. He is praised in Christianity
as the receiver of the Ten Commandments and appears as one of the figures
with Jesus in the Transfiguration (Mark 9:1-8). In the Quran he is Mesa,
and prophesized the coming of Muhammad, 7. 140.
His personality and role in the Jewish religion have inspired works from
such diverse writers as Ahad Ha'Am, Martin Buber, and Sigmund Freud. A.G.H.